"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future," Jeremiah 29:11 (Bible).
I believe these promises of God concerning me. Who am I? I'm an imperfect vessel who has found grace in God's sight. I like to help and encourage others. I am learning to put faith and love into action. Welcome to my blog. Let's learn together!

Monday, December 26, 2016

Are you waiting on God? How are you waiting? Do you know there is a foolish way of waiting? It came alive to me last week. I played a major character in the encrypted script.

So we had an office party, and I invited our "new" roommate. The evening was lovely. And we left early so that our roomie can go pack up her things to her new home - our place.

We both agreed that she would text/call me once she arrives at the building so that I could meet her and let her in and also help her with some of the things. It will take her like 45 minutes or so she said.

Then I got home, changed out of my work clothes and all that. Placed the phone by my pillow and dozed off. I remember waking up now and then to check my phone. But no sign of text or call from her. I slept off again.

After a while, I woke up from my slumber and checked my phone. Alas! It was past midnight. I had about 14 or so missed calls and 3 SMS from our new roomie. Oh boy, I jumped out of bed. But I didn't have to go far because I saw bags and someone else cuddled on a bed at the other end of a room.

She got in. Our other roommate [our host] let her in...

To cut a long story short, as I reflected on how everything had played out, I realized that in a way the event that night reflects how I might have been waiting on God too.

You know, even if my roommate did not arrive at the time we both agreed, knowing that she was going to return, I should have actively kept watch and waited for her call instead of cuddling comfortable in bed. I could have sat at the table, read a book, stayed on the computer. Or do something other than snuggling comfortably in bed that made me sleep off on the watch.

Fellow soldiers in Christ, are you waiting for the Lord's return? How are we waiting? Are we expectant but tired out? Knocked out of breath? Or waiting while actively reflecting the ways of our Lord, preaching the gospel, reaching out to lost souls with love and compassion?

Their friendship didn't just happen though. It was intentional and it was nurtured. See 1 Samuel 18:3-4. They didn't just connect on social media and left the rest to become history. They actually connected and made a pledge of loyalty of sort.

Some people joy in being alone...but woe to him who has no friends! What will he do in the day of adversity? Two can get each other's back and keep eachother warm in this sokewhat cold world.

Some people joy in being a social butterfly and cheerleader of people's party...but how many of these people are really reliable? So woe to him who has too many unreliable friends...lol...that too will bring too much trouble:

"One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." Proverbs 18:24

On love and friendship, here is the standard to be copied:

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

John 3:16

Friendship is love...

Love is giving...love is also receiving...Love is a verb.

When you read Jonathan and David's story, you will see that it was not all mushy-mushy. The men risked their lives for eachother. The bond was even transgenerational! Jonathan's grandson, Mephibosheth, was impacted positively by this friendship. (2 Samuel 9:1).

It is the end of the year and I am thankful for the friends and family that God has blessed me with. But I'm thinking, Lord how can I improve the quality of my friendship? How can I love intentionally and selflessly like You do? How can I be passionately in love (not just by feeling) and allow my soul knit to another's like David and Jonathan?

Teach me Lord! Take me to a higher level of this love that is your nature (1 John 4:7-8)! God is love!

Words to live by:

1 Corinthians 13:1-10

The Message (MSG)

The Way of Love

13 If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.

2 If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing.

3-7 If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.

Love cares more for others than for self.

Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.

Love doesn't strut,

Doesn't have a swelled head,

Doesn't force itself on others,

Isn't always "me first,"

Doesn't fly off the handle,

Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,

Doesn't revel when others grovel,

Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,

Puts up with anything,

Trusts God always,

Always looks for the best,

Never looks back,

But keeps going to the end.

8-10 Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled."

Sunday, December 4, 2016

My feet took me places
my heart would rather not have been.
But we already know by now
that evil would never tempt us
with things we do not desire.
So the fall was high,
but not higher than the Most High.

The lover of my soul,
He lifted me out of the pit
beheld my beauty like the first night
and welcomed me home.

My first love, Ishi,
I come to you broken.
The woman with light in her heart
tells me
that your mercy, Ru-hamah, was there all along
and your love is enough,
I believe.

1 Corinthians 9:26-27King James Version (KJV)

"I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway."

What She Told God...And His Response

"She told God she wanted to fly. To escape every limitation placed on her from birth. To soar to places unimagineable to her ancestors. To reach for the stars and land on her dreams. She told God she wanted to create. To build legacy and transform everything she touched. To inspire generations to come and to nurture the visions of prophets yet to be born. To generate change with her mere words. She told God she wanted to love and trust unconditionally. To be the answer to every prayer he had ever prayed and the manifestation of every fantasy he had convinced himself would never come to pass. To be the breath of fresh air he had never sat still long enough to take in. And God told her that eyes had not seen nor ears heard what was to come for her."

Popular Posts

In Days To Come: a collection of poem

Published 2004

The Review of "In Days To Come"

Jennifer is a remarkable young lady. Living in a country that she truly loves, yet recognizing the many problems as well. From her young mind she reaches out through her poetry hoping that her messages will reach out to educate, but even more so, to offer hope.

Jennifer does not write in rhyming verse or strict form, preferring the freedom to express her innermost thoughts without restriction. Yet poetry it undoubtedly is.

Many have struggled to define poetry, in the same way that many struggle to define art. Poetry paints with words and expressions and as such can be both art and craft.

I believe that if Jennifer’s words move you, then she has expressed both her art and her craft.

Finally, we have tried to avoid making changes to her writing, except perhaps for a few proof reading corrections. We hope by this you will capture not only the words, but (also) the essence of Jennifer’s culture that shines through her poetry.

Philip G. Bell

Editor,

Young Poet Society.

The job of the poet Is to leave stains of the storms Yet echo laughter of the light That is seen from the soul. . . . The job of the poet Is to . . .capture And to spirit and to script The pulse of life.﻿ From “Duties as Designed” in Reflections of a Peacemaker: A Portrait Through Heartsongs, page 5. The Legacy of Mattie J.T. Stepanek and Heartsongs

Followers

Psalm 119:9-12

How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.

10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.

11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

12 Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees.

I surrender

show me a waya channel, a routethrough which I could reachout to this hurting worldand wipe out that tears rolling down her cheeks

I know, I knowI must tread only on that path I know wellelse I cramp my style with stinking gibberish

My wallet is flat tonightplease don't count on thatStill this urge to belongan undiluted desire to serveyearns so loudly I can hold back no more

I surrenderin total submission my heart cryHere I am, use me lover of my soulto be a helping hand in my societyto learn to give without asking for a refundto able to influence others into aiming for the bestnever to try playing god over my peersto you my king I obediently surrender.

Feedjit

Isaiah 60:1-3 (Amplified Bible)

1ARISE [from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you--rise to a new life]! Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord), for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you!

2For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and dense darkness [all] peoples, but the Lord shall arise upon you [O Jerusalem], and His glory shall be seen on you.

3And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.

He Promised...

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

About Me

Jennifer is a tech savvy Journalist, a vivacious volunteer and an avid blogger who is keen about using the new media as a tool to disseminate information, collaborate and stir up progressive interaction. She is described as one of the next generation of communicators by Georgetown University’s GAIN's Center for Social Impact Communication (CSIC). Jennifer currently serves as a freelance senior reporter and media trainer.
Between 2009 and 2010, she served in Washington D.C as an Atlas Corps Fellow. She was also recently granted the International Reporting Project (IRP) 2013 New Media Fellowship to report on global health and development in Nigeria.
In November 2010, she was awarded the LEAP Africa Nigerian Youth Leadership Award for her work as an outstanding Nigerian youth leader.
A graduate of Mass Communication from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), Jennifer believes God created Youth for a purpose and thus should not be wasted in frivolity. Her published books include, “In Days To Come” (2004), "Preserving My Saltiness" (2011) and "Half a Loaf & a Bakery" (2013).
Favourite quote: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.